Three people were hurt in California when a rebar tower apparently collapsed without warning. Reports claim that the tower weighed around 1,000 pounds. While all three people did survive the collapse, the injuries to at least one person are considered critical.
It appears that three men were at the construction site before 9:00 a.m., and they were working to wrap the tower when it fell. This marks the second time in the last four months that a worker suffered a serious injury on this specific site, which is eventually going to be a mixed-use building. It will have 158 condos, office space and retail space.
One man’s injuries were described as minor, and he was taken to an unnamed medical center. The other two men were rushed to the trauma center at the Valley Medical Center, which is located over in Santa Clara. While one had critical injuries, the other man had moderate injuries. As of the latest reports, his life is not thought to be in danger.
An investigation is now being carried out by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA). They are checking to see if there were any safety violations and trying to determine why the tower fell. They are still investigating the case from a few months ago, as well, in which a worker who was caulking on the second floor somehow fell from that level down to the first floor.
These back-to-back cases really show just how dangerous it can be to work in construction. Those who suffer serious injuries need to make sure that they know all the legal options they have.
